AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. — Aiken County officials say a suspect is dead after opening fire as deputies arrived to a call on Sunday morning.
According to preliminary details released by the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to the 300 block of Hamelin Road around 2:45 a.m. to reports of a person who was threatening neighbors with a gun.
By the time deputies arrived, officials said the suspect was barricaded in a home and firing multiple shots. This led to the SWAT and negotiator teams being called to the scene. In a follow-up, the sheriff's office confirmed the suspect in the case died at the scene, but no deputies were wounded.
The Aiken County Coroner's Office later identified the deceased as 49-year-old Christopher H. Whittle, adding that a deputy shot him.
Authorities said the release of additional details will be the responsibility of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which is investigating the incident at the request of the Aiken County sheriff.
